Examiner News Desk | Srinagar:
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has accorded administrative approval for construction of a multi-level car parking facility at Jewel Chowk in Jammu at an estimated cost of Rs 29.88 crore, in a move aimed at addressing the area’s persistent parking shortage and easing traffic congestion.
The project, approved by the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, is intended to augment parking capacity at one of the city’s busiest commercial and transportation hubs and improve the movement of vehicles in the surrounding areas.
Jewel Chowk serves as a key link between several important parts of Jammu, with traffic converging from the B.C. Road, Canal Road, Gandhi Nagar and other adjoining routes. The Jammu Master Plan-2032 identifies the Jewel Chowk area and adjoining B.C. Road corridor as facing considerable congestion and recommends measures to improve traffic capacity and movement.
The shortage of organised parking has long been a major problem in and around Jewel Chowk. Government data presented in the J&K Legislative Assembly shows that the existing JDA parking facility at Jewel Chowk has capacity for only 77 cars and 10 two-wheelers, a relatively limited capacity considering the volume of traffic and commercial activity in the area.
The shortage frequently puts pressure on available roadside space, with motorists looking for parking around commercial establishments and adjoining roads. The resulting roadside parking can reduce the effective carriageway available for moving traffic and contribute to delays, particularly during busy periods.
Residents and daily commuters in the wider Jewel Chowk-Canal Road corridor have previously reported prolonged traffic snarls, with congestion affecting office-goers, students, shoppers and public transport users. Earlier reports have documented long queues of vehicles between Jewel Chowk and adjoining areas during periods of heavy traffic.
The problem is not confined to private vehicles. The area has also experienced pressure from buses, minibuses and other public transport vehicles picking up and dropping passengers, adding to the competition for limited road space. Previous traffic-management measures have included shifting bus and vehicle parking arrangements and restricting unauthorised roadside parking around the Jewel Chowk-B.C. Road corridor.
For people visiting the commercial hub, the lack of convenient parking can mean spending considerable time searching for available space or parking at a distance from their destination. For shopkeepers and businesses, unregulated roadside parking can further complicate access to commercial establishments and movement of customers.
The proposed multi-level facility is expected to provide a more organised alternative by moving parked vehicles away from the main carriageway and creating additional dedicated parking space.
The government has stated that the project will provide modern and convenient parking infrastructure, reduce parking pressure and facilitate smoother vehicular movement in the area.
The proposed project comes against the backdrop of Jammu’s growing demand for organised parking infrastructure. The Jammu Master Plan-2032 envisages multi-level parking facilities as a means of addressing both existing on-street parking and future demand in the city’s core areas. It also identifies the need to improve existing parking facilities and regulate roadside parking to ensure smoother traffic movement.
Government records show that Jammu already has several organised parking facilities, including multi-level parking at the General Bus Stand and Shalamar, besides surface and roadside parking at different locations. However, the distribution and capacity of these facilities remain important considerations as the city’s commercial and residential areas continue to expand.
While the new facility could add much-needed parking capacity, traffic experts and urban planners have long emphasised that parking infrastructure needs to be accompanied by effective traffic regulation.
The Jammu Master Plan has proposed measures such as one-way traffic arrangements and changes in road geometry around Jewel Chowk and B.C. Road to improve traffic flow.
For commuters, the effectiveness of the new facility will ultimately depend on how efficiently it is connected to surrounding roads, how easily motorists can enter and exit it, and whether roadside parking and unauthorised stopping are effectively regulated.
The Rs 29.88-crore project therefore represents more than an addition to the city’s parking infrastructure. If implemented alongside effective traffic management, it could form part of a broader effort to reclaim road space, improve mobility and make one of Jammu’s busiest commercial areas more accessible to motorists, pedestrians and businesses.
